Said wilcox assigfoe to said keabney



(NoModLf v T. KEARNEY & W. W. WIL-OOX.

. Poo-t Power;

Pate hted May-I7, 1.881.

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' UNITED PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE KEARNEY ANDVVESLEY W. VVILOOX, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS; SAID W'ILOOX ASSIGNOR TO SAID KEARNEY.

FOOT-POWER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 241,544, dated May 1'7, 1881. Application filed January 22, 1881 (No model.)

To all whom it mag "concern:

Be it known that we, THEODORE KEARNEY and WESLEY W. WILGOX, both of Chieago, State of Illinois, have jointly invented certain new and useful Improvements in Foot-Powers; and we do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference'marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

Our invention relates to footer treadle pow ers operated by a horizontal or swinging movement of the foot; and it consists, first, in a vibrating driving-lever suspended from a point over and in the same vertical planewith the crank-shaft to be rotated, said lever being curved or deflected backward opposite the shaft for the attachment of the pitman; second, in a sliding or adjustable connecting-box for joining the pitman to the lever in the curved portion of the latter; third, in a foot-lever suspended as described, and adapted to be lengthcned or shortened and, finally, in certain specific features of constructionhereinafter described more fully, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a suspended driving-wheel operated by a lever constructed and applied in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2 is a section of the semicircular part of the lever through 2 2 of Fig. 1, showing the sliding connecting-box.

Fig. 3 is a detail exhibit of said sliding box as a novel construction in itself. Fig. 4 is a front view of the stirrup. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a standing wheel having our improvements applied thereto; and Fig. 6 is a side view ofa portion of the standard of Figs. 1 and 5.

The same letter indicates the same part in all figures of the drawings.

A is the drive-wheel to be rotated, and A is its cranked shaft. B B are the supports of the shaft A. O is a vertical foot-lever pivoted at I, a point above and in the vertical plane of the wheel-shaft D, and in or nearly in the vertical transverse plane of the shaft crank R. Said lever is provided, at its lower end, with the stirrup or foot-rest E, and opposite the crank said lever is curved backward in a semi circle, Og'of which semicircle the axis of the shaft A is the center,a's shown in Fig. 1.. The pitman D has connectionwith the lever G in this curved portion thereof. Ordinarily the connection will be made at a point horizontally opposite the shaft A, but it is sometimes desirable that such connection be made at a higher or lower point on the lever, according as greater or less power is desired. For this purpose the retreated portion O of thelever G is made particircular, as stated, and an adjustable connecting-box,'F, is employed, to which thepitman is pivoted at d. Said box, by means ofa set-screw, s, or equivalent device, maybe detached or loosened and reset at any desired point in the curve C at will. As aspecial construction for such adjustable connecting-box, at once simple and cheap, we prefer that shown in Fig. 3. This box contemplates that the curved part 0 of the foot-lever C be made with the central rib, or, or, better still, with two opposite ribs,.r and w. Said box is composed of two plates, a and b, adapted to be cast in form. The plate a is recessed to admit the body of the lever, to which it is applied in the manner shown in Fig. 2, and the set-screw sis arranged to bear on the outer rib, or. Said plate a is also recessed at d to receive the end of the pitman D. The plate 1) sets over the end of the pitman and also over the inner edge or flange of the lever, as seen clearly in Fig. 2, and is held in place by the pivot-bolt t of the pitman. Said pivot-bolt, being located inside the line of the extremities a a of the walls of recess d,

holds the plate I) firmly and flatly in place. The presence of the lateral flange w is not necessary, but is desirable as calculated, if the parts are properly cast, to assist in holding the box squarely in line with the pitman.

The stirrup E is cast in a separate piece from the lever O. For the purpose of providing for lengthening or shortening the lever, as may be required for different persons or operations, the shank of the stirrup is cast with a groove or recess on its inner or back face, and the end 0 of the lever is cast tofit said recess. One of the parts (as the lever) is provided with aslot, c, and the other with a suitable hole to receive the bolt 0.

The foot-rest Gis pivoted to the arms of the stirrup at g g, so as to conform to the natural positions of the foot in operating the power.

Of course it is not necessary that the entire deflection of the lever 0 shall be in a true are of a circle, but a central portion thereof, along which it may be desired to slide the box F, should preferably'be in such an are. When the pitman is connected directly to the lever O-t'. 0., without the adjustable box F-the curve or deflection need not, obviously, be in any part circular.

By means of the construction or form of the lever O shown-that is to say, having its pivotal point and the stirrup in a vertical line with the crank, and having the central deflection for the attachment of the pitmanthe weight of the lever or downward pressure of the foot always brings the crank in position off the dead center and the stirrup in the middle of the are of its motion, so that the wheel may be readily started in either direction. This arrangement of the wheel and lever is also found to bring the parts into natural and convenient position with relation to the sitting operator-as a watchmakerand his bench.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a foot-power for the production ol'rotary motion, the combination, with the wheel A, having the shaft A, crank It, and pitman D, of the lever 0, having its upper and lower portions, when vertical, praeticallyin line with the shaft A, pivoted at its upper end over the shaft, and retreated rearwardly opposite the crank for the attachment of the pitman D, substantially as described, and for the purposes stated.

2. In the arrangement of parts described, the retreated portion 0 of the lever O, of curved form, and combined With an adjustable box, F,

to which the pitman D is pivoted, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

3. In combination with the lever 0, provided with the lateral flange 00, or the lateral flanges x and w, the box F, adapted to be pivotally connected with the pitman D, said box being constructed of the recessed plate a and capplate I), and provided with the set-screw s and bolt t, arranged and applied substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The suspended foot-lever G, provided with the stirrup E, secured adjustably to the lever, for the purpose of varying the power of said lever or thearc ofthe foot-motion, substantially as described.

5. Combined with the suspended foot-lever O, the stirrup E, having the foot-rest G, pivoted to the arms 9 g, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as ourjoint invention we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

THEODORE KEARNEY. WVESLEY W. WILOOX. Witnesses M. E. DAYTON, J Cox,- Jr. 

